Part 11 (2/2)

”Fear's the white feather all cowards wear.”

----s' th wht fthr ll cwrds----

62. Logogriph.

This is a riddle (_logos_, a word, and _griphos_, a riddle) in which a word is made to undergo several changes. These changes are brought about by the addition, subtraction, omission, or subst.i.tution of a letter or letters. The following, by the late Lord Macaulay, is an excellent example:

”Cut off my head, how singular I act: Cut off my tail, and plural I appear.

Cut off my head and tail--most curious fact, Although my middle's left, there's nothing there!

What is my head cut off?--a sounding sea!

What is my tail cut off?--a flowing river!

Amid their mingling deaths I fearless play Parent of softest sounds, though mute for ever!”

The answer is _cod_. Cut off its head and it is _od_ (odd, singular); its tail, and it is Co., plural, for company; head and tail, and it is o, nothing. Its head is a sounding C (sea), its tail a flowing D (river Dee), and amid their depths the cod may fearless play, parent of softest _sounds_ yet mute for ever.

63. Metagram,

a riddle in which the change of the initial letter produces a series of words of different meanings; from _meta_, implying change, and _gramma_, a letter. Thus:

I cover your head; change my head, and I set you to sleep; change it again and again, and with every change comes a new idea.--Cap, Nap, Gap, Sap, Hap, Map, Lap, Pap, Rap, Tap. This kind of riddle is also known as word-capping.

[GUNPOWDER MADE BY A MONK AT COLOGNE A.D.1330.]

64. Palindrome,

from the Greek _palin-dromos_, running back again. This is a word, sentence, or verse that reads the same both forwards and backwards--as, madam, level, reviver; live on no evil; love your treasure and treasure your love; you provoked Harry before Harry provoked you; servants respect masters when masters respect servants.

Numerous examples of Palindrome or reciprocal word-twisting exist in Latin and French; but in English it is difficult to get a sentence which will be exactly the same when read either way. The best example is the sentence which, referring to the first banishment of the Great Napoleon, makes him say, as to his power to conquer Europe:

”Able was I ere I saw Elba.”

65. Puzzles

vary much. One of the simplest that we know is this:

Take away half of thirteen and let eight remain.

Write XIII on a slate, or on a piece of paper--rub out the lower half of the figures, and VIII will remain.

Upon the principle of the square-words, riddlers form Diagonals, Diamonds, Pyramids, Crosses, Stars, &c. These specimens will show their peculiarities:

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